Eva Andersson-Dubin, MD, has a unique perspective on breast cancer, a disease that one in eight women will face during her lifetime. Her journey has traversed an unusual path, blurring the lines dividing the traditional roles of donor, physician and patient. Ultimately, all of those experiences shaped the vision that led to the creation of the Dubin Breast Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Eva Dubin and her husband, Mount Sinai Trustee Glenn Dubin, possess both professional expertise and personal experience that make them vital to the success of the Dubin Breast Center. Eva's own bout with breast cancer led her to examine treatment and how it might be enhanced by adopting an overall program to deal with a patient's needs during that difficult time. Her medical background also enabled her to assess what might improve the way clinical care is delivered. The result – An innovative and individualized way to treat breast cancer in a comprehensive setting, while exploring research options for the future. It was a natural for Mount Sinai.

The Dubins first became active with Mount Sinai when Glenn joined the Boards of Trustees in 2004. He recalls feeling honored to be asked, because "I have always admired Mount Sinai for the quality of its medical care and its commitment to the broad community." Since that time, the Dubins quickly became more involved with plans for Mount Sinai's future and actively engaged in its strategic plan. Eva felt compelled to take a leadership role in the creation of a comprehensive breast cancer center at Mount Sinai. When he met Eva, George Raptis, MD, MBA and Co-Director of the Dubin Breast Center, realized that he had discovered the perfect partner for the project, and Dr. Raptis found that “Her vision is for patient-centered care and is very much in line with my own;" he felt confident about the approach that the Dubin Breast Center needed to take in order to be successful.

Dr. Raptis also recognized that Eva's background was a true asset and knew that she would understand the need to create a comprehensive center that would focus on both clinical care and translational research. Eva notes, "Being a physician and a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer gives me a valuable perspective on what's important from a patient's point of view, and as a physician, how clinical care can be improved." The leadership team is now complete, since Dr. Raptis was recently joined by renowned breast surgeon Elisa Port, MD, FACS, who will serve as Co-Director of the Dubin Breast Center. Dr. Port, who has been awarded a research grant by the Susan G. Komen Foundation, is no stranger to Mount Sinai either – she attended Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She brings the surgeon's perspective to the Dubin Breast Center and, with Eva and Dr. Raptis, rounds out the unique leadership at the helm.

With a multidisciplinary focus in mind, Eva, , Dr. Port, and Dr. Raptis are shaping a program that includes space for diagnostic evaluation in radiology, surgery and reconstruction, medical treatment in form of trained breast oncologists, and infusion for chemotherapy and other therapeutics. All of these pieces allow the Dubin Breast Center to take care of patients with a variety of experiences, whether they are the “worried well" who are concerned about minimizing their risk of breast cancer, or those in treatment for breast cancer, or those in remission after having successful treatment. The Dubin Breast Center also has longterm plans to focus on nutrition and to work in tandem with integrative and complementary medicine. "One of the major advantages for patients being treated at the Dubin Breast Center is that it is housed within a top-tier academic medical center," says Dr. Port. “This allows for a fully integrated and multidisciplinary approach, which translates to seamless care for our patients."

This emphasis on teamwork is among the most notable aspects of the Dubin Breast. Dr. Raptis points out that the design of the Dubin Breast Center was largely determined by holding focus groups for patients, nurses, pharmacy staff, and physicians. This process allowed them to receive input from those who could speak to the needs of a center most – both the patients and the staff who would work there. Drs. Port and Raptis also emphasize a vital point that Eva echoes as a medical professional: the need for an active team that openly communicates in determining the success of the Dubin Breast Center. Personalized medicine requires physicians and staff to communicate about a patient's needs, recognizing that each patient has a unique set of circumstances and an individualized treatment plan. Dr. Port sums it up well, stating that "We used to treat breast cancer, but now we are treating breast cancer in individuals." The leadership of the Dubin Breast Center – Co-Directors Dr. Port and Dr. Raptis, along with Eva - expects that the Dubin Breast Center will become a major cancer care facility that serves as both the destination for optimal treatment and the locus of major research towards improving care. Dr. Raptis comments, "We both want the Dubin Breast Center to be the first choice for women and men for the finest and most personalized care today while contributing to the cures of tomorrow."